Blame it on the entirety of this past year or just simply the holidays, but there’s a good chance you may be feeling more stressed out than usual right now.
A lot of us are already too busy, says wellness expert Dr. Ann Kulze. “Then, you add to that the added responsibilities and obligations, more social engagements, entertaining people, family coming in,” she says. “That means oh, I’ve got to clean up the yard and the house. And I have additional cooking. And if it’s Christmas, I’ve got to think about what I’m going to get for people, what presents I’m going to get.”
Fortunately, there are some ways to mitigate this stress, and we spoke with wellness and organization experts about ways to keep it all together even when you’d like to run away from it all.
$16 at Amazon
$130 at Zappos
CNN Underscored Best Tested
$88 at Lululemon
CNN Underscored Best Tested
From $98 at Lululemon
From $24 at Amazon
For a more affordable option, these Lululemon lookalikes are as much a pleasure to wear during workouts as they are for lounging around the house.
$46 at Amazon
If all that stress is building up in your upper back, neck and shoulders (as it often does), this heated back massager is easy to use and simply glorious at getting out those tight knots.
From $269 at Bearaby
Sometimes all you really need is a hug, and weighted blankets like our favorite ones at Bearaby provide that calming pressure while you lie on the couch or drift off to sleep.
$70 $66 at Amazon
“I call them kind of superstar foods for stress protection,” Kulze says of stress-relieving teas. “Sipping on freshly brewed tea from camellia sinensis leaf. That’s green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea.” You’ll need something to brew all the tea you’re going to be drinking, and this highly rated, well-priced kettle has the good looks and power to deliver hot water fast.
$36 at Food52
Love loose-leaf tea? This infuser set lets you steep your tea of choice (or herbs) in hot water or broth.
$25 at Amazon
“I’m a huge fan of licorice tea. It has been shown to reduce anxiety and help with problematic digestion (a common side effect of stress),” says Karim.
From $125 at Amazon
To make sure your tea stays toasty while you sip, we can’t say enough good things about the Ember mug, which keeps your hot drinks hot for hours on end. It comes in a holiday-appropriate bright red color too.
From $30 at Amazon or Fellow
Take your soothing drink to go in this cute travel mug, available in essentially every colorway. Just sip away as traffic and the world fly by.
$58 at Uncommon Goods
“Lavender-scented products have been recommended for relaxation and stress relief for as long as I can remember,” says Kraut. This set will help you with a relaxing routine that helps soothe you into peaceful slumber with the power of aromatherapy.
$39.97 at Amazon
“So often during the holiday times, frankly, people are entertaining more and going to more parties, and their sleep is disturbed,” says Kulze. “And that will exponentially decrease your stress resiliency and increase your propensity to feel stress when you shouldn’t, if you’re sleep-deprived.” Another lavender option to de-stress, this gift set is perfect to bring home for yourself or gift to a stressed friend or family member. Luxury soap, oil and natural hand cream — all made in the US.
